


And Then There Were Two

by MalecLightBane17



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: AU malec - no magic, First Kiss, Fluff, Lydia supports the gays, M/M, Magnus Alec and Lydia are best friends, No angst at all, Slow Build, closet alec, cute malec, first fanfic, getting through the haitus with this, idk how tagging works, mundane malec, platonic malec, some branwood
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-14
Updated: 2018-02-12
Packaged: 2018-12-27 14:55:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12083403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MalecLightBane17/pseuds/MalecLightBane17
Summary: Magnus, Alec and Lydia have been inseperable for as long as they can remember. They have never been seperated for more than a week or two.It's the summer before junior year and Alec and Lydia have been dating since spring break.But when Lydia gets a summer job (and by summer I mean 3 months away) as a councelor at a camp on the other side of the country, Alec and Magnus are left to discover the joy of each others private company, and maybe more.This is my first fanfic and my summary probs sucks but I've had this idea in my head for a month now and I need to get it out. I'd love feedback but please be gentle, hopefully all goes well and this'll give me enough malec during the hiatus.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey y'all!   
> I'm so excited to finally start working on this story, the concept came to me over a month ago and the time has come to put it out into the world.   
> I won't have a regular uploading schedule and I'm a senior so be patient with me but I feel like this could be the start of something awesome.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is basically just setting the mood, introducing the characters and their relationships, to kinda get the idea of this trio. Also, I kinda feel bad for Magnus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi hi! This is my first ever fanfic so idk how I'm doing but so far I like the direction where this is going. I really hope you enjoy, let me know what you think by leaving kudos or writing coments:)

They say when you've been friends with someone for over 7 years, that friendship is for life.  
This was more than true for Alec Lightwood, Magnus Bane and Lydia Branwell, three high-school students from New York who have been best friends for as long as they can remember and have never spent more than a week or two apart. 

It was the last week of school, and the three had just gotten to Lydia's after an afternoon of shopping (well, Lydia and Magnus shopped, Alec was just there for opinion giving and supervising on his friends' careless spending).  
"Remind me again why you had to drag me along?", Alec asked, setting down one of the many bags he had helped carry upstairs on Lydia's bed.  
"Because as much as you hate shopping and have no clue in fashion, somehow you manage to make everything look awesome", Magnus said as he, too, set down some bags and playfully nudged Alec.  
"Well it does help that you're absolutely gorgeous", Lydia teased as she closed the door behind her and set down the final few bags before giving Alec a peck on his cheek.

Alec and Lydia had started dating during spring break of that year. Alec wasn't entirely sure how or when exactly it happened but he liked Lydia. She was his best friend and probably the best chance he had of finding love since no other girl interested him. Not that he was in love with her. But these things take time... Right? Maybe he hadn't started feeling romantic feelings for her yet because he was so used to her being his best friend. He liked her, and she really liked him, so he saw no reason to not give it a try. 

But right now, being teased by her, still not feeling any attraction, all he could do was laugh awkwardly at her comment and change the subject.  
"So, we need to start planning a summer road trip. Now that Mags has his license we need to take advantage of it as much as we can, before he gets arrested for doing something dumb like getting in an accident because there was glitter in your eye". He said the last part while eyeing Magnus, who just happened to have done his makeup extremely glittery that day.  
"Oh come on, you both love the glitter and you know it. Lyd, help me out here, tell your boyfriend that me and my glitter are fabulous and he's just jealous he can't pull it off", Magnus said defensively.  
"Lydia?"

"Hmm?" Lydia, who had been staring off into space looking kind of worried, snapped back into attention when she heard her name.  
"Is everything okay?" Alec asked, gently resting a hand on her shoulder.  
"Yeah, no, I just... I have to tell you guys something."  
Both boys shared a surprised look, then looked curiously back at Lydia.  
"What is it? Are you okay? Is it bad?" 

"Mags calm down, I'm fine. It's just that... Well when I first applied to this summer job I didn't say anything because my odds of getting it were pretty small but then yesterday I got a letter saying I got the job and it's an amazing opportunity for me because this place is great and so is the money but I can't imagine leaving you guys and I've been trying to figure out a way to tell you all day and-"

"Whoa. Stop. Breathe. Slower. What's this job?" Alec asked, trying to calm Lydia's rambling.  
"It's a counceling position at a stay-away camp, it's for the whole summer and it's an amazing opportunity for me."  
"Lydia that's wonderful! Why were you worried about telling us?"  
Lydia took a deep breath and tried to find the words.  
"Because... it's in Vermont, and I leave a couple days after school ends, and it's for the whole summer."

There. She said it. She didn't dare make eye contact with either of them so she stared down at her shoes and waited for what felt like forever for one of them to say something.  
"So just to clarify, you're breaking up our holy trinity for not just a few days or a couple of weeks, but for three months?" Magnus was the first to speak, looking at her as if he'd seen a ghost.  
"I'm sorry Magnus, I couldn't pass up on thi-"  
"No no no, don't even think of apologizing. I was just making sure I wasn't imagining. I'd be really pissed if I wasn't so happy for you." He gave her a smile and a hug that only Magnus Bane could give, and they both stared at Alec, waiting for his response.  
"Alec?" Lydia asked hesitantly, afraid Alec might get angry, that he might decide they could use the summer for a break between them, that he might just dump her then and there.

Lydia wasn't an idiot. She'd known Alec their whole life and could tell he wasn't feeling the same feelings she was at this point in their relationship. Still, he seemed to be happy with her and he had never complained or given any signs of wanting to break up so she thought he just needed time. Not that that meant she didn't mentally freak out every time he seemed upset with her, but she had gotten very good at convincing herself everything was perfect between them. And it was. Wasn't it?

"Wow... um... I don't... this is... congratulations. I'm still kinda shocked but I am so proud of you for stepping out of your comfort zone and doing this. Those campers will be lucky to have you."  
Lydia smiled at her boyfriend fondly and leaned in to kiss him. After a few seconds Alec pulled away, smiled back, and started bombarding her with questions about this camp, while Magnus looked at them from where he was sitting at her desk, a slight sharp pain in his heart.

Magnus had the all too well known problem of falling in love with your best friend from the moment you meet. He reffered to it as the "Lewis Problem", because a friend of theirs, Simon Lewis, had gone through the same thing with another one of their friends and his own best friend since forever, Clary Fray.  
Magnus' problem was a bit more complicated, because he was in love with the one friend that he knew wouldn't feel the same way. At least Simon had the benefit of the doubt. Magnus did too, until Alec started dating Lydia and any hope Magnus had went flying out the window. He had never had trouble hiding his feelings for Alec, in fact he became quite good at hiding them and instead distracted himself with other people. Guys, girls, in high school and older. Magnus did not shy away from the pleasures of human company. But ever since his two best friends started going out, it became harder and harder to ignore his feelings.

And now here they were, on Lydia's bed, talking excitedly and making him feel like the most pathetic third wheel ever.  
"So", he asked, plastering a smile on his face and joining the conversation, "think you can bring me back a cute councelor?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did it I did it I did it! I finished writing my first ever chapter! I am psyched to keep working on this. Don't forget to leave kudos/comments if you want.  
> Next chapter - Lydia leaves and the boys are left alone. We'll see what happens from there?


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And so Lydia goes off to Vermont and the actual story begins! As I'm writing this I'm still not sure what exactly is gonna happen in this chapter, but with this story I'm just sticking to going with the flow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to add a quick little thank you to everyone who left kudos and comments on the first chapter, it really warmed my heart and reminded me why I decided to do this. Can't wait to hear more feedback as the story progresses.

"I'll call as much as I can and I'll be sure to bring you guys back a souvenier and-"  
"Lyd, this is Vermont, not Europe. What could you possibly bring as a souvenier?" Magnus asked as she was hugging them both for the 10th time and rambling on and on to try and calm her down with light teasing.  
"I dont know, you're the one who asked for a counselor", she shot back with a wink.

Alec was standing a couple of feet next to them, anxiously waiting for the inevitable kiss goodbye that was coming any time now. He had kissed Lydia plenty of times before, but they were always quick pecks, never an actual deep, emotion-driven, more-than-5-seconds-long _kiss_.  
He had always said it was because he wanted to take things slow but the more he avoided it the less convincing it became. Not that it mattered because Lydia never seemed to care but he was worried she might start questioning him, and that terrified him, because he himself was still had some unanswered questions about why he never wanted Lydia the way she wanted him. He had his suspicions, but there was no way he was gonna let them enter his mind for more than a couple of seconds at a time.

Magnus and Lydia had finally finished saying their absolute final goodbyes, and then Magnus gestured towards Alec with his head with a smirk.  
Lydia came over to where Alec was standing (he had drifted a few more feet away while she and Magnus were wrapped up in their banter). He looked at her with an awkward smile, and she assumed it was because he was sad to see her leave, so she put a hand on his cheek softly and locked eyes with him.  
"I'll be back before you know it, and then we can spend forever together", she said quietly so only he can hear (Magnus had also heard, and had to fight the urge to leave right then and there). "And then we can continue this". She leaned in and he realized this is it, this is the kiss he had been dreading, the kiss that would probably confirm his growing suspicions. She brushed her lips against his, and he started kissing her, but then anxiety got the best of him and he pulled away quickly and hugged her tightly.  
"I'm gonna miss you so much", he whispered in her ear, hoping that would satisfy her in showing his emotions and convincing her their relationship was worth coming back to. 

It seemed to do the trick, because when they pulled away as her mom was urging her to get in the car he saw her eyes were shining with unshed tears.  
She pulled them both in for one final group hug, kissed them both on their cheeks - which is something she had been doing for years so none of them thought much of it - and got in the car. The boys waved to her and she waved back until the busy traffic of New York swallowed the car and the two guys were left alone.  
_For three months_ , Magnus realized, having it finally and completely sink in, wondering if it was the best or worst thing that had ever happened to him.  
_For three months_ , Alec thought, a weird feeling of relief washing over him as it hit him that this was three months of not worrying about his relationship, letting him figure things out, get a better understanding of his emotions.

"So what now?", Magnus asked after a few minutes, realizing that both of them were just standing on a busy New York sidewalk like idiots.  
"I have no idea. This isn't the first time we're left without her but three months... do you think we can survive three months without getting tired of each other?" Alec asked, glancing sideways at Magnus with a small smile.  
"Oh honey, I could never get tired of you." He hadn't meant to sound so flirtatious, but Alec's smile grew at that so he figured it was okay.

Alec on the other hand didn't even realize he was smiling wider for a couple of seconds, but then he realized he was, and that the cause was Magnus ever so slightly flirting with him, and while it was weird and had never really happened before (not that he noticed), he didn't mind it. In fact, he liked it.  
_Hmm_ , he thought, _these next three months are gonna be interesting_.  
Magnus was thinking the same thing, noting Alec's smile and reminding himself to subtly flirt with him more often these next few months. _Very interesting_. 

"In that case, how about we have a movie marathon and we'll see how tired of each other we get every time we have to pick the next movie", Alec said, with what some would - but most wouldn't, including Alec because he'd deny it - classify as a smirk.  
Magnus' eyes widened and his smile grew and he had a feeling this summer could be the best summer their friendship could ever get. "You're on."

And so they both went to Alec's house, each with his own thoughts, both with a warm feeling on the inside, a feeling that this summer will make them even better friends, maybe even help them realize their friendship is one of those soulmates-for-life, never-drift-apart, deep-emotional-connection friendships.  
Little did they know it would become so much more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There we have it! Second chapter is done. Just a warning though, this is gonna be a very slow build. Also to clarrify neither of them thinks Alec has feelings for Magnus, they just both realize their friendship is gonna get a lot deeper over the summer and maybe Alec's gonna open up more about his emotions, something that he doesn't really acknowledge and will be discussed in future chapters. Again, if you want to, leave kudos and comments, your feedback is what drives this story.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey hey! We're finally getting to the juicy stuff. Or at least the very beginning of it all. As usual, I have no idea what's gonna happen in this chapter until I actually start writing it, so hopefully it turns out well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote half of this one month ago and finished it today, sorry it took so long but senior year is a bitch. So without any further delay, enjoy(?) :)

It had been a few days since Lydia had left. 

The boys hung out like they always did, went to the movies with Alec's siblings, spent hours doing nothing at each others' houses, went for walks or bike rides around the neighborhood, and all was well.

But still, something felt different. They both felt it, though very differently.

To Magnus, a whole summer was a dream come true. He may not be able to win Alec's heart, but he gets him all to himself without feeling like a pathetic third wheel. That's not to say he wasn't terrified of accidently letting something slip and having Alec find out about his feelings, but he felt like some good, long quality time with Alec would be good, if not for anything other than getting tired of his presence and moving on.

Alec on the other hand felt something shift because in all their years of friendship, he had never gotten much time alone with Magnus. At least not as much as he wanted to. Of course he was his best friend and they knew pretty much everything about each other, but with Lydia always being there with them, he hadn't ever had a really personal relationship with Magnus.  
When he and Lydia had started going out, their conversations started to change when it was just the two of them and get a lot more personal and emotional, and he felt that he and Magnus lacked that connection as best friends.

So they both embraced this shift in the air. They didn't mention it or act any different, just accepted that it's there and it can be something to work with for the next few months.

-

"Seriously, why do they call it 'fatty tuna'? I mean, that's a little degrading."

Magnus tried not to choke on his sushi as Alec was making his ridiculous case defending the poor fish.  
"Well, I don't think 'obese tuna' sounds any better", he answered, still giggling.

They both burst out laughing at that, trying not to spill any of the sauces or drop their sushi.

They were on Magnus's bed having sushi and just talking, when Alec started ranting about the cruelty of fat-shaming fish.

"You are absolutely ridiculous. I love you, but you're insane", Magnus added as their laughter died down a bit. 

"Seriously though, I've been called things in the past, and if fish had a consciousness and understood English I bet they wouldn't appreciate being called such names." 

"Alexander, I have known you pretty much our whole lives and never have I heard anyone say one mean thing about your appearance. And that doesn't surprise me, since you're tall and fit and have pretty eyes and easily one of the most beautiful people I've ever seen, and that's saying something, because I see myself in the mirror every day. I do, however, highly suspect you think those mean things about yourself, and I have no doubt you assume others think those things too. I can't imagine why, though, because like I said, you're one of the most gorgeous people pretty much ever." 

This wasn't the first time Magnus complimented Alec on his appearance, he took great pride in having friends almost as good-looking as himself, but when Alec looked up at hearing such sweet things, he was surprised to see that for the first time Magnus looked almost... shy?

He ducked his head as soon as Alec lifted his to look into his eyes and check if there was anything not completely truthful about his statements (which he always does, that infuriating low self esteem of his always creeping in), but as soon as they made eye contact, something inside him urged him to look away. 

"Magnus?", Alec asked hesitantly, because Magnus being shy and not one hundred percent confident was not something he was used to, especially not around him. 

"What? I just complimented you, you should be used to it by now, you self-depricating goof", Magnus shrugged it off and ignored his sudden flash of insecurity. 

Alec, despite his curiosity, decided to let it go for the time being, and instead caught Magnus's gaze and in complete seriousness declared:"I may be a goof, but I am a goof fighting for the rights of poor fish who deserve to be loved in all shapes and sizes!"  
And Magnus, not missing a beat, picked a tuna roll with his chopsticks and raised it as if to make a toast.  
"And they certainly are!"

And just like that, all was right with the world, the two of them laughing and eating and talking as if nothing happened.

-

That night, in the privacy of his own room with his own thoughts, Alec thought back to Magnus's moment of insecurity.  
 _What had happened?_ , he couldn't help but ask himself.  
In all the time he had known Magnus, he had never been unsure of himself when flirting or giving a compliment.  
 _Was it me? Did I do something to make him feel insecure?_ , he worried, in his constant state of wondering how many people he had unintentionally hurt, offended or disappointed .  
His last thought before he drifted off to sleep was that he has to try to find out what had made Magnus lose his cool, and to do whatever he can to assure him that he never has to doubt himself around him.

-

On the other hand, not that far away, Magnus was a restless mess.  
 _Had he figured it out? Did he really notice as much as it seemed he did? Do I ignore it? Do I acknowledge it?_  
His mind was racing with thoughts and scenarios of how many different ways Alec would reject him if his fears were correct and he really did figure it out.  
He decided to ignore it and see what Alec does, because he is not about to get into this mess with the person that means most to him, not if he can avoid it.  
 _Whatever happens_ , he tells himself eventually, as he tries to fall asleep, _you'll get through this. Everything is gonna be fine._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there it is! Have I mentioned already this is gonna be a slow... *slow* build?   
> Hopefully the next chapter won't take as long to post, sorry again about that.  
> (Side note, I'm listening to War Of Hearts as I'm writing this and it kinda makes me wanna speed things up and get to the tooth rotting fluff)


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which our beloved heroes go see a movie and have a very interesting conversation. Also, Baby Groot being voiced by Vin Diesel is still hilarious to me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey folks! I really wanna start getting things going with malec but as usual I never have anything specific in mind before I start writing a chapter so we'll see where this one takes us.  
> Enjoy, and feel free to leave comments and/or kudos if you want.

It was a nice evening at the very end of their first week without Lydia, and the boys were on their way back from the cinema when they decided to take a walk around Central Park. 

"But imagine finding out your father was this all powerful being", Alec said in astonishment. 

"Well it would definitely beat the father I do have."

Alec glanced at his friend, who gave him a strained smile which he might have believed, had it been anyone but his best friend.

"You know, you've never actually talked about him... I hope I'm not overstepping but since you brought him up and he seems like an unpleasant memory... would you.. um... do you wanna talk about it?"

Magnus slowed his pace and thought for a moment. He gestured to a bench near them and Alec automatically understood and sat down.  
They then sat there for a few moments, and Alec was beginning to think maybe this was a mistake and they should just forget about it and keep talking when Magnus finally spoke up. 

"I guess I should begin by saying that I don't regret for one second the life that I have and the family that comes with it. You know my mom means the world to me. However, she didn't to him. He was her boss when they met, and he harrassed her and some other female co-workers constantly. One day he told her she was his favorite and got her drunk and..." He took a second to breathe before he continued, and Alec could clearly see unshed tears building up in his eyes. "To this day I have no idea why her, why then, but that doesn't matter. Anyway, a month or so later she found out she was pregnant. When she told him he was furious. He hit her and threw a fit in his office. Eventually he calmed down, apologized and demanded she get an abortion. When she refused, he demanded they marry because the thought of him having a bastard child, and what that would do to his name and his business was unacceptable. She agreed to marry him, because she figured she would at least have financial stability."

Alec could see that Magnus was getting worked up, and decided maybe that was enough for today.

"Mags, you don't have to keep talking if it's too hard for you. I promise I'll understand."

"No", Magnus quickly reassured, "I'm fine. This is the first time I'm talking about this with someone other than my mom and I am not stopping now."

"Ok, if you're sure", Alec replied, still slightly hesitant but trusting Magnus to know what's best for himself. 

"So the date of the wedding came near, and about a couple of weeks before the big day my mom suddenly went into labour over a month early. My father had never been angrier, according to her. When I was born he took one look at me before he realized he couldn't raise a child with her. She still has no idea what changed his mind, but I'm not sure I wanna know what my life would've been like with him in it. So, he left her some money, called off the wedding and left. She never saw or heard from him again."

By now Magnus was crying, silent tears running down his face, not a care in the world for the people around them.

When Alec realized Magnus was done with the story he hurried to comfort him in a tight hug, Magnus instantly melting into it, burying his head into Alec's shoulder, his own shaking as he let all of his frustration with his father out in quiet sobs.

They sat like that for a couple of minutes, and when Magnus had run out of tears, he lifted his head, took a deep breath of something akin to relief, and gave his best friend the most grateful smile he had ever seen. 

"Thank you. Thank you so so so much, Alec. I want you to understand - I've never talked about this with anyone. And when I did with my mom it was always her telling this story and me listening. You're the first person I've told these things to, and probably the only one I feel safe talking about this with. I don't know how you do it, but I will forever remain greatful."

Alec didn't know what to say. Sure, he knew he had this calming, trustworthy presence that made him easy to talk to, but being the only person Magnus has ever felt comfortable enough with to share such a story? It was a bit overwhelming. And honestly, he kind of liked it.  
He usually didn't really like being special or praised, because then all the attention would be on him, but now, in this park, on a nice, calm evening, with his best friend sharing the hardest thing he ever had, being special wasn't that bad.

They stayed like that, heads resting on each other in comfortable silence, just watching the park and the people in it live, for what felt like forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So um... this didn't go at all in the direction I had in mind but I kinda love it? I guess I could save the idea I had for this chapter for the next one and just make the time gap between them a lot smaller (as in a few hours later). But hey, for now we have a little bit of Magnus's history that until that evening nobody knew about.  
> As always, y'all are welcome to leave whatever thoughts, opinions or kudos you feel like down below, and hopefully I'll post the next chapter this week since I have more free time and I don't wanna forget my other idea.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which things start to get a little interesting and I look for that specific scene in Guardians of the Galaxy 2 for hours. Seriously, it is impossible to find and I NEED IT. Enjoy. And obviously, if you haven't already, watch the movie. No watch both movies. They're amazing. Okay that's all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OH MY GOD 2 CHAPTERS IN ONE WEEK Y'ALL THIS EXCITING.  
> Okay so maybe not that exciting but still. Impressive. Maybe. The only reason is that the idea for this is still fresh in my brain and if I wait with it too long it'll turn into mush and won't work as well. Also this chapter is only a couple of hours after the last one so it only made sense to post them one right after the other.  
> And although I have a general idea for this chapter, it is as usual improvised on the spot.

Ok so maybe it wasn't forever. 

But they took their time, and when they ran out of silence they started talking again, and although they were talking about everything and nothing as best friends do at night, there was this calm energy surrounding them.

Maybe it was from Magnus's relief, having gotten the darkest secret of his past out and into the world with no negative outcome or judgement.

Or maybe it was from the warm feeling spreading from Alec's chest to the rest of his body, caused by the unconditional trust his best friend gave him, and the knowledge he was the only one to know such an emotionally draining story about him.

Whatever it was, it formed this little bubble that consisted of only the two of them, just being together on a nice summer evening.

-

Eventually, it started getting late and they were getting tired, so they decided to go spend the night as Alec's place.

The conversation kept flowing, topics changing and going all over the place, until suddenly Alec got quiet.

"Alec?", Magnus asked, after making a comment about the movie they had seen that in his opinion was hilarious and recieving no reaction.  
"You okay?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine, just thinking."

"What about?"

"It's just... have you ever.... you know what, never mind. It's stupid."

"No, come on. Now I'm curious. Whatever it is, it can't be harder to say than what I told you."

"Okay fine. I was just thinking about that whole Gamora and Starlord thing... that unspoken thing."

By now they had arrived at Alec's house, so they sat on the porch swing in front of it.

"What about it?", Magnus asked, his heart starting to beat quicker and quicker, his mind racing with scenarios in which this conversation might be headed.

"I don't know, I just can't stop thinking about it and I guess I was just wondering if you've ever experienced that with any of your past... relationships. You know, before you got together with someone."

Magnus had to look into his friend's eyes to try and read where he was going with this, but all he got was genuine wonder and something else he couldn't quite decipher.

"I don't really know... I've never really thought about it. I also haven't really been with people I knew for a while before something happened, you know, it's just like, I meet someone I find attractive, find out if it's mutual and if it is, we get together."

"So... that's all you base starting a relationship on? If you find the person attractive?"

"Isn't that how people generally start dating? Besides, I'd hardly call most of them relationships. They were more... casual meetups to satisfy each other."

It wasn't a secret that Magnus had no problem expressing his sexuality or acting up on it if he found someone he liked, but Alec had always assumed he had dated at least some of them for a while, maybe the ones he saw around Magnus more than once. The whole thing made him feel uneasy for some reason so he pushed the thought aside and kept the conversation going. 

"And you wanna tell me that you've never felt anything deeper than 'hey, I wanna sleep with them'?"

"Well there's only one person I've ever actually had deep, real feelings for..."

As soon as he realized what he said, he started panicking, trying to think of something to say, trying to think of a name of one of his past acquaintances that Alec would believe he had feelings for. 

"Who? Camille??"

 _Yes!_ , Magnus thought. Camille. He hadn't heard that name since they had all promised to avoid mentioning it unless deemed necessary. 

Camille was the only long term relationship Magnus had ever been in (well, long for him, in reality it was 4 months). He thought she was going to be the one to finally take Alec off his mind for good, but then she broke his heart, shattered it into a million pieces and laughed as she did so. She was a master of manipulation, and without his two best friends he probably would have run back to her on his knees. Thankfully, Alec and Lydia were there to make sure that didn't happen. And of course, Alec being over protective of his heart, trying to heal it in whatever way he could, only brought him back to square one, falling head over heels for his best friend.

"Yeah, um.. yeah. You know she had me blind with love, or at least that's what I thought it was. Before her I had never really had any deep, actual feelings for my partners and after her I refused to let myself develop them."

He gave Alec a sad smile, a smile that says _what can you do? It is what it is_ , a smile that broke Alec's heart just a bit. 

"But it's fine, I enjoy those casual nights with pretty people... wait, why are we talking about this? Did you not have that unspoken thing with Lydia before you two got together?"

Alec's head shot up to look into Magnus's eyes. He looked as if he had just seen a ghost, but for Alec it felt almost as if he _was_ a ghost and Magnus could clearly see through him. 

"What? No, I mean... I don't know... I mean of course I.. but it's not-"

"Alec."

Alec looked to his shoulder, which Magnus was now squeezing, signaling for him to calm down, and thankfully he understood and took a breath. 

"It's okay. Not everybody has that when they first start dating someone. The important thing is that now you do have something with her, this thing that might not be unspoken but it's bigger than that, it's a development of love."

Alec looked into his friend's eyes with an urgency to get the point he wanted to make across without actually having to say it, and after a few moments it dawned on Magnus that maybe Alec's concerns were a little bit more complicated. 

"Unless... Alec, do you not have feelings for Lydia?"

There it was. Alec had a choice now. He still hasn't said anything, he could always brush it off and lie, or... Or he could say it. Say what he's been fearing ever since he and Lydia had started dating, admit to the one person closest to both of them that it wasn't real, not truly, not for him. 

He took a deep breath, looked up, locked eyes with Magnus, and realized he didn't really have a choice. Magnus understood right away what the answer was, but he didn't say anything because he decided it was Alec who needed to do the talking and he was willing to hear him out.

"I always thought I would never find someone until I was way older, maybe never at all, that I would be one of those single uncles that did whatever he wants but everyone kinda felt sorry for him for never finding love. I have never had feelings for any of the girls I knew, so I just assumed that I was a lost cause. I even started playing around with the idea that I was aromantic. So when Lydia asked me out, I figured this was the closest I was gonna get to being with a girl I love, because I do love her, just not in the same way. Anyway, I just assumed the feelings would develop on their own with time. But it's been about 4 months and I still see her as Lydia, my best friend since forever, not Lydia, the girl of my dreams, the love of my life. I don't wanna hurt her, and I really do believe she's my only chance, so I'm still going along with it but I didn't realize how hard it was going to be. I have never kissed her for more than a couple of seconds, always a peck. Hell, I've never kissed her period. She's always the one to initiate it."

He stopped to take a moment after letting out the biggest secret he had ever had to keep, and also to check if there was any judgement, anger or hate in Magnus's eyes. 

Instead, the other boy looked at him with sad eyes, almost worried, and while Alec was relieved, he was also unsure what that look meant, and it made him uncomfortable. 

"Well? Are you gonna say anything?"

"It's just a lot to process. You've just confessed to me that you have no feelings for the girl you've been dating for four months, who also happens to be our best friend, and who we're not gonna see until August."

Alec looked down in shame, he felt awful about the whole thing but he didn't want to hurt his best friend by breaking her heart, or worse, having that break up their trio.

"Okay", Magnus said after a couple of minutes of silence. "You obviously care about Lydia, and you're obviously terrified of breaking up with her for fear it would break her heart and ruin this friendship."

Alec gave his friend a small smile. He could truly read him like an open book.

"Which I understand. However, the longer you keep this up, the worse it's gonna hurt both of you when it inevitably blows up. So, what you're gonna do is take this summer to figure stuff out for yourself, and since there's no way in hell I'm letting you do this over the phone, when she gets back you'll talk to her and I'll be by your side the whole time. If you're honest with her and show her that you do still love her platonically, I think there's a good chance she'll understand. Deal?"

"Deal. And thank you Magnus, if it were anyone else I wouldn't dare admit this."

"I guess we just have that effect on each other", Magnus smirked and gave Alec a wink as he stood up. 

"I guess so."

Alec looked at his best friend in something akin to awe, wondering how they do it, when he was interrupted by a giant yawn, reminding him of the time and how tired he actually is.

"Well, I for one think this has been a wonderful evening, and I look forward to more secret sharing sessions with you this summer. Sadly, though, I fear if we don't go to bed now you'll pass out right here and there is no way in hell I am carrying you all the way upstairs."

They went to Alec's bedroom, got ready for bed, and just as they were starting to drift off, Alec spoke up.

"To sharing secrets."

Magnus looked over to see him close his eyes with a calm smile on his face.

"And to keeping them", he replied, and drifted off to sleep with an identical smile of his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOLY SHIT I DID NOT EXPECT 2 VERY IMPORTANT CONVERSATIONS IN ONE NIGHT.  
> However, I'm thrilled with how this chapter and the last one came out because we're finally getting somewhere and I want the fluff asap. It will take a while though, but this is progress.  
> Hope you all enjoyed, leave your thoughts, feelings, concerns and kudos if you want to and we'll see when the next chapter comes and where it leads. <3


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT CHAPTER-Alec truth time. Magnus is a great best friend. Rainbows all over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coming back with a BANG!   
> I haven't updated this since November so hopefully you'll accept this great (if I do say so myself) chapter as an apology. I have more free time now so there's a good chance I'll update more often but no promises.

The next few days had this new, calming aura about them.

The boys mostly stayed inside in one or the other's bedroom or sitting somewhere outside like a park bench, a picnic blanket or even just Alec's front porch. 

They rarely checked their phones in the presence of each other, and they were pretty much glued at the hip, neither wanting to break this spell they had created by giving each other total, genuine trust and sharing things they would never, ever share with anyone else.

It was almost intoxicating, this newfound bond they now shared, like nothing bad could happen when they were together, just talking about everything and anything and knowing they could do so freely and without any backlash.

All was well... until it wasn't.

They had started getting more interested in Marvel movies since that night at the cinema, and decided to watch The Avengers that day.

They watched the movie in Magnus's room, both in comfortable silence, each with their go-to at home movie food (a bowl of popcorn, Oreos and gummies and a soft drink of their choice), shoulders leaning against each other for the sake of remembering they're in good company.

"Damn, what's a guy gotta do to find someone as hot as Chris Hemsworth in this town?", Magnus said as the credits were rolling, getting up to stretch and take their dishes to the kitchen.

"I don't know, I think if you were looking for anyone with any Avenger-resemblance Chris Evans is a better pick", Alec remarked, following Magnus and taking a seat at the kitchen table.

Magnus froze at that, nearly dropping everything on the floor near the sink.

 _Wait. What?_ , he thought, a strange question that he had never dared to ask himself or Alec suddenly taking over his entire brain. _Hold on, don't get your hopes up, Bane_.

"What about Scarlett Johansson? She knows how to work that tight suit", he asked cautiously, still with his back to Alec, staring down at the sink.

"Nah, not my type. I mean don't get me wrong, she looks great, but I wouldn't want her, y'know, like _that_."

Now Magnus felt like he had to ask, had to see if there was maybe just a possibility...

"Hey can I ask you something? About what you told me when we talked about you and Lydia a few days ago?"

"Uh... sure. I mean, I think we've established that we can talk about anything so yeah, ask away", Alec answered, brushing it off while getting more and more nervous by the second.

"You said you were never interested in any girls you knew, and you've never had any feelings for Lydia as anything more than your best friend, and just now you had no problem picking Chris Evans over Scarlett Johansson... it just floated into my mind that uh... is there any chance that you.. um... that maybe... wow I didn't think it would be so hard to ask... is it possible that... you're... gay?"

He rushed it all out in a nervous blur and hadn't seen Alec's face turn from nervous to anxious to downright horrified, and by the time he actually said the word and looked into Alec's eyes, he was met with an expression that involved all of the above and... anger?

"What the hell?! How dare you make assumptions about me like that! You have no right to just ask such things out of nowhere! How could you be so insensitive? I thought I could trust you!"

"Alec, no, I'm sorry, I just-"

"I don't wanna hear it! I should go."

"Wait!"

But it was no use. 

Alec was out the door, slamming it on his way out, and Magnus was left shocked, slowly lowering himself to the floor as tears flooded his eyes.

_What have I done?_

-

A few hours later, Alec found Magnus in the one place they both knew the other would eventually go to - a pretty secluded area of this small playground nearby, well hidden by trees and bushes. They had found it as kids one summer when Lydia was spending a week at her grandparents' and for some reason never told her about it. It became their spot when they were upset. The one Magnus went to when he first found out Camille cheated on him. The one Alec went to just a few years prior to that when he had his first big fight with his sister. Whether they were together or alone, it was their spot, their safe haven.

And now, Alec got there to find Magnus sitting in the grass, hugging his knees tightly to his chest, tears drying up on his face.

"Hey. Don't say a word, especially if it's gonna be an apology. Just listen."

Magnus just nodded, eager to listen and scared for some reason that this was gonna be the end of them and that what he said was unforgivable in Alec's eyes.

"Let me just start by apologizing. I was irrational, and rude, and hurtful, and I shouldn't have exploded the way that I did. You didn't deserve it, because you were just trying to help, just making an observation, but mostly because... you were right."

At that, Magnus' head, that was staring at the grass around him, too worried to make eye contact, snapped and his eyes stared straight into those hazel eyes that he oh so adored, not believing what he was hearing.

"Yes. You were right. I've had a feeling for a while, for a few years actually, but back then I thought I might be bi or pan or whatever. I had no problem telling you I thought I might be aromantic, but the thought of admitting, to myself before anyone else, that I'm gay, scared the living hell out of me. I knew you wouldn't have a problem with it but I thought about my parents, Jace, people at school... and I just couldn't deal with it. So I pushed the thought away. Every time it entered my mind, I would instantly kick it out. And then me and Lydia started dating and it became both easier and harder.  
Easier, because I was less worried about people finding out. But much more harder because I was more aware of the fact that I'm not attracted to her, or any girl for that matter. And then we had that conversation on my porch and I thought maybe by the time she comes back I'll be brave enough to tell her the truth. Maybe she'll understand. And that's still what I'm hoping for. But when you said out loud what I've been trying to deny for years I just... I didn't know what to do with myself and before I could think, I lashed out at you as a defence mechanism. I am so, so sorry, for my reaction and for not telling you. Now say something... please?"

Magnus was in total and complete shock. 

He was frozen, mouth slightly open, eyes still staring into those of his best friend, who just happened to be the man of his dreams, who just admitted to being interested in guys. This was amazing. This was incredible. But it also left Magnus speechless.

After a few moments of silence in which his brain registered everything and remembered how to function, all he could do was jump at his friend and hug him.

"Oh Alec, I'm so proud of you for everything you just said! I know it couldn't have been easy, and I understand your reaction to hearing it out loud for the first time, so obviously I forgive you, but mostly I'm just happy you decided to be honest about it. You could've kept denying it but you didn't."

Alec, taken by surprise, tried to stabilize them so that they won't fall with one hand and hugged Magnus with the other.

"Wow it means so much that you're being so accepting and I still am sorry because I know I hurt you, but oh my God I have never felt as relieved as I do right now. What I told you about Lydia is nothing compared to this."

As they pulled away he let out a carefree laugh, and Magnus suddenly saw a brightness to his smile that wasn't there before. 

It almost made him want to kiss Alec right then and there. 

_Whoa, baby steps, this is too new to reveal you've been in love with him for forever_ , he reminded himself.

"So are you gonna tell your family?"

"You know, if you promise to be by my side, I think I just might. Hey I just realized, coming out to you was the first time I said I'm gay out loud. Hell, it's the first time I've admitted it at all. And you know what? I'm okay with it."

Magnus was sure his smile was just as big as Alec's, if the pain in his cheeks was any indication, but he couldn't help it. 

He'd encouraged someone to come out, and not only that but the person who just confessed that he's into guys is the same guy that Magnus has known for like a decade that he feels something special towards. 

_This summer just got a whole lot better_ , they both thought in unison.

"Hey, we should go to Pride together!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo... he's as queer as a 3 dollar bill.  
> Let me know if you guys wanna see a chapter of this darling duo going to pride festivities since this is taking place in June, and that's when all the pride parades are usually.   
> And as usual feel free to leave any comment you want and kudos if you want to and like this story.


End file.
